Amusement apparatus



March 5, 1940. l G. F. MARVIN 2,192,476

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Filed March 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Shea?. 1

lnvenor March 5, 1940. G, F, MARVIN 2,192,476

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS K Filed March 8, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Gran/vail@ I.' Ma/rvz'n/ A torneys;

Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES aiszfcrc AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Granville F. Marvin, Emmett, Application March 8, 1939, Serial No. 266,634

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to new and useful improvements in amusement apparatus and more.

particularly to a mystifying motivated toy.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a toy in which a gure or other attention attracting element is caused to move on a surface, preferably opaque, to the end that observers will be puzzled as to the mechanism involved to promote the activity of the figure or attention drawing element.

Another important object of the invention. is to provide a toy of the character stated in which mechanism is employed constructed Ain. such a manner as to cause a multitude of antic activities on the part of the display element.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following specification.

In the drawings- Figure l represents a top plan view of the platform with the figure removed showing in broken lines the path the gure will follow.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the case and the mechanism therein, with .the platform removed.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing the magnet.

Referring to thel drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the case is made up of the bottom 5 and the side walls 6. Cleats 'I are provided at the inside of the side walls 6 for supporting the platform 8, which can be of glass or any other suitable substance but preferably opaque.

The bottom 5 is formed Awith the centrally located opening 9 through which the drive shaft IB from a motor or other drive unit extends. This shaft I0 extends upwardly into the case and has its upper end threaded to accommodate the nuts Il and I2, or other suitable means for securing the arm I3 to the shaft so that the arm will rotate with the shaft.

Numeral I4 represents the permanent magnet of the horseshoe type, but obviously if desired this can be an electromagnet without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention.

The magnet I4 is provided with bridge plates I5 secured in place to the legs of the magnet by bolts I6. A pin I1 is secured to these plates and extends downwardly through the arm I3, at one end thereof, and has secured thereto the wheel I8. -In other words, the wheel I8 is xed in relation to the magnet Il so that rotation of the wheel I8 will carry with it the magnetic unit before described. Itis preferable that a spacing sleeve I9 be provided on the aforementioned pin I1 and interposed between the arm I3 and upper bridge piece I5.

Toe portions are suitably secured as at 2l on the terminals of the magnet It so as to concentrate the iiux area between the poles.

The opposite end of the arm I3 is provided with a. weight or counter-balance 22 so as to counter-balance the weight of the magnetic unit before described.

, On the top side of the baseor oor 5 is the semi-circular-shaped track 23, preferably of rubber.

A second serni-circular-shaped track 24 of like material is disposed in a direction away from the track 23, but has its end portions terminating on a line extending diametrically through the shaft I0 and touching the terminals of the track 23. This track 2t has a diameter sufficiently smaller than the track 23 so as to permit the wheel I8 to pass between the ends of the track 23 and track 24. AIt can be seen that when the arm I3 is driven by the drive shaft I0 the wheel I8 in rotating will also rotate the magnet I6 below the platform 8 and when the wheel I8 reaches one end of the track 23 it is taken over by the other track 24 which obviously causes the magnet to rotate in the opposite direction.

These antic movements of the magnet It are translated to the figure or other display element 25 on the platform 8. The magnet iiux between the pole pieces 20 take effect on the element 25 which is of course of a material having an ainity for magnetism with the result that the element 25 will follow the tortuous maneuvers l of the magnet I by sliding on the platform 8, and to observers looking at the gure following these maneuvers, the actuating force is concealed with the result that the true function of the apparatus conveys an atmosphere of mysticism.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter. f

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is: l

1. An amusement device comprising a platform, an object adapted to slide on `the platform, and a mobile magnet operative under the platform and in magnetic relation with the said object, a drive shaft, an arm extending from the drive shaft, seid magnet having n Wheei 'carried thereby, said magnet being rotatably mounted on the arm, sind a, trani; egaimt which the wheel can ride to cause rotation of the ningnet, said track comprising o pair of 'seniicircular sections, one of secid. sections being oi a, die ameter substantially smaller than the diameter of the other section sind constructed and arranged with respect to the last-mentioned ec- -tion to the end that the wheel will ride from the end oi the last-mentioned section to the adjacent enti ci the other section? 

